, I think, unless a judgeship comes
soon, will not live much longer, not being of an age or
constitution to live for ever on expectation, however good his
may be, for I am assured he is to have the first vacancy. What
the event of Hastings's trial will be, I cannot say; the
prosecution is carried on with great ability and acrimony, but
hitherto the oral evidence has fallen short of the expectations
pronounced by the managers.

Fox made a severe attack on the Chancellor and the Court, for
which Lord Fortescue was near moving to have the words taken
down, and to adjourn to the House of Lords, but letting the
proper moment slip, he was advised not to resume it again by the
Chancellor and the Duke of Richmond. I think the Chancellor, to
a certain degree, provoked Fox's attack by a speech the day
before in the House of Lords, which everybody said had better
been left alone.

I dined last Friday with your brother Marquis; in talking of
Lord Fortescue, he said he heard he was a sensible man, and
asked me whether he stood on his own bottom, or whether he was a
follower of the Grenvilles. I felt the aim of his _gracious_
speech, and consoled myself with his dinner and the addition of
a new stock of mimicry of those I already possess of him. He and
all his Synod are violent against the new Declaratory Bill, and
are ready for any mischief against the present Government,
though they are the last who would benefit by a change. The
Prince of Wales takes an active part in opposition, and goes on
the same. The Duke of York in politics talks both ways, and, I
think, will end in opposition. His conduct is as bad as
possible; he plays very deep, and loses, and his company is
thought _mauvais ton_.

I am told the King and Queen begin now to feel "how much sharper
than a serpent's tooth it is to have an ingrate child." When the
Duke of York is completely _done up_ in the public opinion, I
should not be surprised if the Prince of Wales assumes a
different style of behaviour; indeed, I am told he already
affects to say that his brother's style is too bad.

I am, my dear Lord,
Your affectionate and sincere
B.

The habits of the Prince and his brother were now become matter of
notoriety in the political circles, and in the preceding January had
attracted the observation of Mr. Grenvil